Kintori Yakitori

Thursday, January 21, 2016

After my
excellent dining experience last month at Kinka Izayaka, I got the chance to
try out another Kinka Family establishment called Kintori Yakitori.Kintori Yakitori is located in Koreatown and is situated on the second level of Kinton Ramen, another Kinka Family restaurant.

Although Yakitori is translated to grilled chicken, which is what they are known for,
you can try many different kinds of meat and vegetables at Kintori. All of the skewers are traditional Yakitori
grilled over binchotan charcoal imported from Japan. The unique charcoal is essential in Japanese grilled cuisine because it burns at a very low
temperatures and does not produce smoke or unpleasant odours that could
potentially alter the taste of the food. The perfect grilling conditions is what makes the fine quality of meats and vegetables at Kintori taste so damn good.

The menu is separated
by Yakitori items, Tapas, Hot Dishes, Rice and Noodles and Drinks. The Yakitori section is the largest with many
different types of skewers to choose from. The skewers are fairly cheap
starting at $1.80 per skewer and climbing to $8.80 which is for the wagyu
beef. The menu also has some items that can found at Kinka Izayaka such as the signature fried chicken and miso marinated black cod. You can also order ramen from the downstairs establishment. The options are endless.

Here’s what I
tried:

Original Chicken Broth

Oshinko Moriawase - Assorted Japanese Pickles - $3.80

Negima - Chicken Thigh & Scallion - $1.80

Zuri - Chicken Gizzard - $1.80

Nikumiso Kyabetsu - Cabbage Salad with Chicken Miso Dip

Tebasaki - Chicken Wing - $1.80

Uzura Kushi Age - Panko Fried Quail Eggs

Premium Gyu-Tongue - Beef Tongue - $3.80

Tsukune - Chicken Meatball - $1.80

Hatsu - Chicken Heart - $1.80

Reba - Chicken Liver - $1.80

Asparagus - Deep Fried Asparagus Wrapped in Bacon

Negi Shio Gyu - Beef with Scallion Sauce - $3.20

Houji Cha Creme Brulee - Roasted Green Tea Creme Brulee - $5

My favourites
of the night were the Chicken Wing, Chicken Meatball, Assorted Pickles, Beef
Tongue and Crème Brulee. The chicken
wing and meatball were both cooked to perfection and the meat was very juicy
and full of flavour. The assorted
pickles were just some pickled cucumbers, burdock root and pickled
lettuce/cabbage but it was a nice dish to clear and refresh the palette. The
beef tongue was thinly sliced and tasted excellent with a spritz of lemon juice
to enhance it's grilled flavours. The crème brulee was a big A+ as I am very
picky when it comes to crème brulee.
Luckily this one was unique with its prominent green tea flavour and the
right amount of sweetness and burnt crust. My least favourite items were the
organs but that's only because I don't eat them in general. Friends at my table really enjoyed the hearts
though and said they were really tasty and well-done.

I thoroughly
enjoyed my experience at Kintori Yakitori and will be back soon to try out
other Yakitori skewers such as the pork belly, chicken skin, eel, and lamb! I
also can't wait to try out the ramen at Kinton which is below Kintori as I have
only heard excellent things about their authentic broth.